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The Maltese archipelago consists of three main islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. The population of the country of Malta is less than 400,000 and the language is Malti, a derivative of ancient Phoenician, Arabic, Italian, and English. All of the Maltese people speak English, though, so it was never a problem for us to communicate.
Malta's strategic location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea made it a fine trading center, but also a target for attackers over its long history. Malta achieved its independence from England in 1964. Today, Malta enjoys a robust economy, excellent relations with the rest of the world, and very successful maritime and tourism industries.
Picture nineteenth century Britain, with its ornate and stately buildings and horse-drawn carriages, and then add yellow buses, blue harbors, palm trees, outdoor cafés, and computer shops and you'll be able to picture Malta.
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The faces and backs of most of the buses look like American vintage-1950s automobiles. Inexpensive and plentiful, buses are an excellent way to get around Malta. Each bus's dashboard and driver's seat are decorated at the whim of the driver, often with little statuettes of horses, or stickers from sports teams, or flags, or religious dioramas. Elderly passengers cross themselves before the bus starts and again each time the bus passes a shrine or a church door, which in Malta is quite often. |
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The festa (or festival) is one of the most important events for the many parish churches on the island. The festa attracts both locals and tourists now. The church is often decorated with lights and celebrates with fireworks. Then, the statue of the village patron saint is paraded through the streets on the shoulders of volunteers. The church just down the street from our marina was in the middle of its festa one afternoon when we came back to the boat. Note the gallerija, the built-out, enclosed wooden balcony that is very typical of Maltese architecture. |
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